A Rose Red As Blood
by Vicomtesse de Chagny
Summary: Rose is a poor girl in medieval paris. She and her friend esmeralda barely manage to get by. But when she meets the lonely bell-ringer Quasimodo, things are bound to change. And indeed, life gets a lot worse when the most powerful man in paris targets her best friend and a hard-hearted and cold soldier keeps following her.
1. Rose

Young Rose woke up, as the first rays of the winter sun tickled her pale, sleeping face. Still a little dizzy, she looked around and realized that she was at the court of miracles, a place she had been living at for the last couple of months. She turned around to see a bunch of raven hair laying beside her. Those belonged to her best friend, Esmeralda, who was still dreaming. She quietly got up and walked towards the big trove, where both girls kept the few dresses they owned. Esmeralda only had two: a dress with a white bodice, purple skirt and emerald green belt, complementing her gorgeous eyes, and a fiery red dress for special occasions. Most of the time, Rose wore a dress with a blood red bodice, a slightly lighter red skirt and red, transparent, black sleeves. Also, there was a red rose pattern on her bodice, the same color as her skirt. On special occasions she wore a teal dress, with a black bodice and a _very_ low neckline. She put on her red dress and her single golden earring. The other one belonged to Esmeralda. Wearing it was a sign of their friendship. Rose closed her eyes, remembering how she met the young woman for the first time.

* * *

 _Weakly the starving girl walked down the high road. Finally she had been able to escape from her so called home and her horrible mother. She was tired, hungry, thirsty and in need of a bath but there was no place to go. Still, she thought, dying out here was better than living there, with her mother Colette de Vache, a horrible, abusive harpy. She had hated the girl from the moment she was born, for no other reason than her hair. Because her daughter had been born with fiery, red hair._

 _"Witch!" her mother had called her, all the time. The girl couldn't even remember her real name. Was is Ann? Jeanne? Who new. All she remembered was that life had been nicer when Grandmere had still been alive. After her death a year ago, the poor girl's life had turned into a living nightmare. But last night she had finally done it, she had gathered some of the more valuable things her mother possesed and ran. She didn't feel any guilt over the theft. Unfortunately, she ran into a bunch of crooks. They had taken everything but the clothes on her body, though they had considered taking them as well, for a different reason. But she had managed to escape.  
_

 _Now, she was on her way to Paris, wearing nothing but a torn, hazelnut colored dress and a plain white bonnet to hide those red curls she was so ashamed of. How'd she be able to survive, to start a new life? Now that everything was gone. She suddenly stopped when she saw the city just in front of her. Suddenly she couldn't hold back her tears any longer and with a loud sob she sang to the ground, her face buried in her hands. It seemed like hours, when suddenly she felt a hand on her shoulder.  
_

 _"Are you alright?" a gentle voice asked. The girl looked up and saw the most beautiful, emerald green eyes._

 _"I...I am...yes! Yes, I'm fine...I guess."_

 _The other girl gave her a worrying look. "You seem hungry."_

 _"Well, I..."_

 _"Are you homeless?"_

 _"Yes." the red-head admitted weakly._

 _"I've got some bread here." She took half a loaf out of the bag she carried. Then she gave some of it to the red-headed girl. "Please, take it. By the way, my name is Esmeralda."_

 _"Thank you. I'd give you my name, but...I don't remember."_

 _Esmeralda looked at her while she was eating. Then she said:" You'll need a new name."_

 _"Of course, but..." Just as she bended forward, her bonnet fell of, revealing her almost waist long red hair._

 _Esmeralda looked at her in surprised, when she muttered a curst and fearfully looked at her._

 _"Please! I know what you're thinking, but I am not a-"_

 _"Rose!" Esmeralda said._

 _"Huh?"_

 _"I think it's a fitting name for you. Because of your beautiful red hair."_

 _The red-head looked at her, completely puzzled how someone could think of these horrible strands as beautiful. "This...this is the first time someone compliments my hair..."_

 _"Really? But it's so pretty." Esmeralda said with a smile._

 _"Alright...I think it's a lovely name. Yes, I think, maybe it suits me." Rose said, returning the smile._

 _"You are a beggar, aren't you?" Esmeralda asked. Roses nodded. "Then I know a perfect place for you to stay."_

* * *

Since that day, their friendship had been growing fast and Rose couldn't imagine how life could be without her dear friend. Rose looked back at Esmeralda, smiling, before she went to the gate that would led her out of the court of miracles and to the graveyard. Suddenly she felt something gently pushing into her side.

"Djali!" she petted the cute goats head. "Don't worry, sweetie. I'll soon be back with a bunch of coins to feed us tonight." The goat gave her a happy look before he ran back to his mistress.

"Rose!" the girl turned to see Clopin, the leader of the court of miracles. Rose remembered that he had been reluctant to accept her into their community. Most of the people here were Romani, or "Gypsy", as their were often called. The people of Paris and especially the Judge Frollo, treated them very poorly. While a few people who lifed at the court weren't Romani, most of them were and they were understandably distrustful of new arrivals. After all, for all they knew she could have been a spy or something. But after six months, people had gotten used to the red head. Meanwhile, Rose had gotten more comfortable with her hair, to the point that she had grown to love it.

"Rose, be careful. I know you haven't met him yet, but that Frollo could get you in huge trouble if you aren't careful. He always finds a reason to oppress people who don't fit his world view."

"Of course. I will. Bye!" she said before leaving, leaving him behind, shaking his head.

She quickly passed through the catacombs until she finally arrived outside on the graveyard. It was a bright but chilly morning in January. She made her way into the depths of the city, until she reached the place in front of the Cathedral of Notre Dame. Here was where she would sing for the citizen's to throw coins into her bag. Usually, Esmeralda was with her, dancing. But last night, she had come home fairly late and Rose decided to let her rest.

She laid down her beg, so people could throw coins inside, and sang a beautiful, french ballade. A small crowd gathered around her and Rose slowly started to dance along. Slowly and carefully, though, she wasn't as good as her friend. Just when she had reached the last high note of the song, she saw a soldier approaching. It was a tall, young man with dark, black curls and striking, green eyes. He approached her and the crowd quickly left.

"I don't think you've got permission to use this place, woman!" he sneered.

She grabbed her now full back and glared at him. "Nor do I need it!"

"Is that so? Well, we could go and ask Minister frollo what he thinks about that!"

The young woman merely crossed her arms, giving him a cheeky smirk. "Sure, go ahead. _If_ you can catch me!" She said and faster than light she turned around and ran toward the cathedral. Finally there, she dragged the heavy front gate open, the voice of the soldierbehind her.

"Hey! Come back!"

But Rose slithered inside and closed the heavy door.


	2. The Bell-Ringer

Still shaking, the red-headed woman walked further inside the cathedral. She'd never been inside a church before. Her mother never allowed her out of the house after her grandmothers death and even before, Rose had always refused to go. After years of being decried as a witch and a demon, she hadn't much interest left in piety. But that it would be so beautiful...

She looked over to the benches, where many citizens had gathered and an elderly, stocky build man was preaching to them. Rose knew her clothes were hardly fit for a morning mass and so she stayed in the shadows, listening to the Archdeacon's words and the music the organ played. Still, the gorgeous stained-glass windows and stone figures always drew her attention to them. The morning sun shone through the colorful glass and threw patterns on her skin and dress. She had never been to a place like this!

"Can I help you, child?"

She turned around to see the Archdeacon behind her, a gentle smile on his face. Caught in her thoughts, she hadn't noticed that the mass was already over.

"Oh, I...nevermind me. I'm just...hiding here...from a soldier."

The archdeacon gave her a questioning look. "A...soldier?"

She answered with a weak nod. "I didn't do anything, but trying earn some money. The honest way, I should add. And this man came up threatened to arrest me!"

"It seems to happen very often lately. Especially to gypsies. I see them minding their own business, but Frollo and his men..." He sighed. "Stay as long as you need to." Then he turned around, getting back to his duty.

Rose decided to take a little walk through the cathedral. She had to look at everything, every window, every statue, every painting. It amazed her more than she had ever expected. Suddenly she found a staircase. "Should I go?" she mumbled with a mischievous grin. "Uhhh, I think I will." She had only reached the fifth step, when she heard foot steps from above and noticed a shadow coming from behind the corner. She stood there, looking at the man that had just entered her sight. He was a tall, elderly, skinny man, wearing a long black and purple cloak with a matching triangular hat. This had to be the Judge Frollo! When he noticed her, his already stern eyes tuned to a glare.

"Who are you?" he demanded as he kept approaching her. "You're not allowed to enter these stairs!"

"But...why?" Rose asked, backing away.

"Only clergy is allowed to enter the bell tower. And me." When he had reached her, he grabbed her arm and dragged her down. "Stay away from there if you don't want to get in trouble."

Rose glared back at him. "It's because of the bell-ringer, isn't it?" She had already heard what the people of paris said about the bell-ringer named Quasimodo. He was an "ugly, deformed monster" they claimed. Some even went as far as calling him a demon. She crossed her arms, a bitter smile on her face. That seemed familiar.

"The bell-ringer is none of your buiseness, girl!" Frollo said. He put his triangular head in place and turned around to leave. Before exiting the church, he shot another dangerous glare at the young woman.

Rose shook her head in disgust. So this was the feared Judge of Paris? The man who kept persecuting the Romani living here for twenty years. She took a deep breath, planning on telling Esmeralda about this encounter. She hadn't really met him in person yet, so she had to be warned.

She waited for about five minutes, just to make sure he wouldn't return, then she ran up the dusty stairs as fast as she could. She had to see this supposed "Monster" with her own eyes. When she had almost reached the bell tower, she heard a voice. She kept quiet to understand what he said.

"I wonder where she went. Well, her voice does sound kinda pretty...okay, okay," she heard him say, laughing. "More than that, but...meet her? Me? Besides, there is someone who is even prettier. That dan-"

"Atchoo!" quickly Rose clasped her hands in front of her mouth, but it was too late.

"W...who is there...?"

She made the last few steps up, until she had finally reached the tower. But there was no one to be seen. "Just...just me." she said. She heard a quiet gasp from one corner. "If...if you'd prefer I leave, I will. I just wanted to see the tower and meet the man that graces Paris with his beautiful music every day."

"Oh...I...thank you..." She looked at the dark corner and made out a figure.

"That's...I will go now..." she turned around.

"...wait..."

"Yes?"

"Do you...know who I am?"

"Yes, you are the one called Quasimodo. The man also known as the "Hunchback of Notre Dame". But don't worry. I...I would never judge anyone for shallow reason's like appearance." She said, gently playing with a strand of hair. "If you don't want to show yourself, I understand that. But I was wondering...who was that singer you were talking about?"

"That singer that performs almost everyday at the place below. Along with the gypsie dancer."

"That singer would be me. My name is Rose. And the dancer is my friend, Esmeralda."

"Esmeralda," Quasimodo repeated. "She dance's...beautifully."

Rose almost got the impression that just saying the word seemed to hurt the poor guy. "Yes, she does. I-"

"There you are!" Rose flinched when recognized the voice behind her. She slowly turned around,her fingers around the dagger that she carried on her belt. "I think Judge Frollo warned you not to come here."

Facing the soldier, she smirked. "Why should I listen to a cruel man like him? And why should I listen to one of his minions?"

The soldier shook his head. "You're just digging yourself deeper. And you, bell-ringer..."

Quasimodo flinched and gasped when the man addressed him.

"As far as I know you aren't allowed to talk to stranger's, isn't that so?"

"Leave him alone! _I_ broke the rules." Rose said. "Promise not to tell Frollo about this, so Quasimodo won't get into trouble and I will go with you."

"I don't have to agree to this, you know?" the soldier sneered. "But I will make you an offer. I won't say a word _and_ let you go,if you promise me a little favour."

"That means what exactly?" Rose asked. She knew very well what sort of "favours" soldiers like him usually desired, yet she hoped that wasn't what he had in mind.

"Not yet, I will tell you when the time has come."

Rose shook a little, partly out of fear, partly out of anger, but she calmly agreed. "Can I leave now?"

"I will take you out of the cathedral, just to make sure you won't go straight back up here. Go back to your work, hunchback!"

"...y-yes..."

The two walked down the stairs, Rose first, the soldier behind her. She avoided looking at his face, but she felt his stare.

"You said your name is Rose?"

"Yes..." she replied calmly. "And how do they call you?"

"Guillory."

"And your first name?"

"I might tell you sooner or later. For now, my families name shall be enough." Finally, they had reached the bottom and the soldier looked around. "Now leave! Until we meet again." he smirked and Rose couldn't help but glare at his smug face.

As she was walking towards the door she quietly mumbled to herself. "I hope we never will."

Just as she was leaving the building she heard his voice again. "Oh, we will."


End file.
